Heroes Past
by JennaCarlsonWrites
Summary: The Alpha War laid destruction and ruin to planet earth. As a consequence, both heroes and villains are incarcerated inside Veil City to further prevent more destruction. Now a new evil has taken control of the world with no help or protection from the inhabitants of Veil City. The world now needs a new group of heroes to save it. *continuous work...keep checking back*
1. Chapter 1

Heroes Past

EPISODE 1

Revolt

Dylan stood on a grassy outcropping and stared over the valley that had become Veil City. He glared with disgust as he watched the citizens of the small world below him. The grass surrounding the perfect model homes radiated with the purest green, like little emeralds sprinkled all over the landscape. Trees stood proud and tall while they basked in the bright sunlight. Flowers bloomed with cascades of radiance as they adorned every yard and business front. Smiles and laughter could be found on every corner, alleyway, and street. But it was all a lie. A lie orchestrated from a society driven by fear, driven by the inability to control something bigger…and Dylan was going to bring it all crashing down.

The need to obliterate Veil City had been Dylan's focus for the past fifteen years. It had consumed every part of his life and the lives of the people willing to help him. Veil City sat like a kingdom in an oasis, and its inhabitants lived lives of ordinary importance. Its mere presence defined the turmoil on his side of its walls. The sight of the city brought up ire thick enough to cut. Veil City was everything wrong with the world.

The Alpha War had decimated the earth nearly twenty years ago. It had left the world in ruins that they were still rebuilding from. Major cities destroyed, hundreds of thousands slain, and now chaos by the name of Darkseid ruled the lands. During the time of recuperation, Darkseid snuck in right under the human race's nose and took control with little to no resistance.

Veil City had been a direct circumstance of the Alpha War; a type of prison for the guilty parties, but on a volunteer scale. Its residents were made up of the bad guys…and the good guys. They had volunteered to relinquish their power as punishment for the mass destruction they'd caused. Their memories were wiped, new identities planted, and they were placed in what is known as Veil City today. A force field had been placed around the city to prevent anyone from leaving or getting in. They led lives as police officers, meat shop butchers, florists, small time criminals, and office workers. Any knowledge of the outside world and their past was now a lost memory.

Dylan Runnalls was thirteen when The Alpha War happened. He'd been sitting in his back yard working on a broken bicycle tire when the sky lit up in a dark red. He could still remember the smells, the sounds, and the fear that encompassed the world in that one day. Buildings were flattened, dead piled on top of dead, creatures roaming the streets, and beings have fire-fights mid-air. Explosions, lasers, cries of the injured echoed throughout the night. In one single day, the earth was in ruin.

Dylan had lost almost his entire family except for his little brother, Jake. A neighbor had taken them in after the war and raised them till Dylan was seventeen. Richard Cashman had been a seventy two year old widower with no children and plenty of room to raise two orphans. As a former marine, he had lots to offer a young teenage Dylan. Richard had taught him to take care of himself, how to defend his home and his body. Jake had taken no interest in the militant lifestyle and stuck to his books. No matter how much Dylan pushed Jake to learn what he himself had learned, Jake would only delve further into studies and fantasy worlds.

Two weeks from Dylan's seventeenth birthday, Richard was found in his garden, dead from a heart attack. Both Dylan and Jake spent the entire night digging a hole to bury him in. Many times Dylan had to stop digging to console Jake, who sat to the side covered in dirt. His sobs echoed around the neighborhood, and the only thing he could say amongst his gasping breaths was "He left us, just like Mom and Dad. He left us." Dylan never had the time to grieve for his own parents, and he was now faced with another caretaker's death on top of raising a ten year old boy…all by himself.

At thirty-five, Dylan had done the best he could do. Jake was off trying to rebuild the world as Dylan was just simply trying to save it. Over the past ten years, he'd recruited a team of misfit individuals set on rebelling against Darkseid's regime. Rebel armies stationed all over the world always fell short of the objective. Darkseid was constantly a step ahead. Factions were obliterated, captured, or their memories were wiped for new identities to be placed inside his own army.

Veil City was the last resort for earth's salvation now. Its destruction would open up a resolution or the final kill switch to the work Dylan had toiled over…even killed for. A wing and a prayer was all he had left once he was able to disable the force field. He knew there was a chance the whole mission could backfire.

He stepped back from the ledge and sighed.

"Are you ready?" he asked his technology expert Jim.

Jim Spencer had been with him since the start. The tall, lanky man of forty-two had been an ex-CIA agent before the war. He'd told Dylan to never ask what he did unless he wanted to know things that he probably didn't truly want to know. Dylan left it at that, but let Jim work his magic to gather technology to break the spell of Veil City.

"I'm as ready as ready can get, man. We keep putting this off, and we'll never get in," Jim replied.

Dylan nodded in agreement and turned around to face the group of onlookers waiting for his command.

"Guys, this is it. There will probably never be a moment better than this one. Emma? You ready?"

A redheaded woman in her late twenties stepped forward and turned back to the group, "Ok guys, you know your positions. We won't have much time, but if Darkseid's men show up, you have to keep them off our backs and not tip them off to what we're doing here. As Dylan said, this may be the only opportunity we get."

Emma Romer turned back to Dylan and smiled wanly. He, too, felt her unease. The lives of his crew were in his hands. A knot in his stomach was starting to pulse. He hadn't succumbed to nerves before, and he wasn't about to start. He put his hand on Emma's shoulder and faked a smile as best as he could.

"We got this. You and I. The world can't afford for us to lose this chance. Make sure you stick by me at all times and don't forget the plan if we get separated."

"I know, I know. Meet at the cemetery. I got it, Dylan," she humored him.

She was so beautiful in that moment that he longed to kiss her. His feelings for her had blossomed into something he thought might be love. The past two years had been new territory for Dylan because he had made a promise long time ago to never get close to anyone. Death followed him around every corner, so there was no point in getting used to anybody.

"Let's go," and he led her to the edge of the cliff so she could strap into her repelling gear. Before getting into his, he sauntered over to Jim. Beeps and clicks chirped as Jim rifled through programs on the transmitter he'd built.

"We're headed down now, Jim. Let's get going."

"Yeah, ok. Just testing some last minute scenarios, so I can prepare for the worst."

Dylan couldn't help but laugh, "You don't know how much better that makes me feel."

Jim looked up at him from his sitting position on the ground, and appeared confused about what was so funny. His left eyebrow arched as if to ask "Huh?"

Dylan lightly smacked him on the back, "Never mind, man. Just make sure it works."

He reached down and helped Jim up, wondering if this was the last time he was going to see him. Jim had become a true friend, albeit eccentric friend, over the past few years. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and put the mission at the forefront.

The cliff stood two hundred feet above the bottom of the valley. It had been the only spot out of view of surveillance. They'd spent months traversing the valley looking for weak spots in the security and finally came across this lucky gem.

Dylan got strapped in and waved to the small crowd a few feet ahead of him. They cheered but kept it at a minimum. He saluted and swung off the edge. Every fifteen feet, his feet sprang off the face of the cliff, and the sound of the rope buzzed above him. He was descending faster than he'd wanted, but the impending mission had him pumped. Adrenaline coursed through his veins as he tightened and released his repel grip. Emma followed suit along the side of the cliff, but she struggled to keep up with him. When his feet hit the ground, he looked up and signaled for Jim and another crew member to start heading down.

A line of bushes sat against the edge of the field where Dylan and Emma sat perched to wait for Jim and Patty to come down.

"Ok, when Jim gets this thing open, we're going to head straight for the house at the end of the block. Harley and her husband are at work for the next two hours. We set up a communications station in the shed out back. Once we're finished there, we head out to the pharmacy to make contact with Diana. Remember, stay with me, Emma. No matter what happens. Veil City isn't a place for us. We're completely outmatched here."

Emma stared back at him, unmoving in her expression.

"Dylan, we've been over this a million times. I promise you, I got it. Once we've made contact with Diana, we head for the grocery store to stock up on supplies. There's no telling how long we're going to be here. Once we're done there, we head over to the hotel to set up base camp."

She looked at him pleadingly. He smiled and nodded, recognizing that she had a grasp on the mission details.

"Ok, ok. I just wanted to be sure. We don't have a lot of room for error here. Even while we're in there, we'll still be winging it. There's no telling what these guys are going to say or do. They may laugh us off, or they may lock us up. We're strangers here. A small city like this engineers quick gossip. Stealth and speed are our only allies here, Emma."

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek, "Dylan, stop worrying. This isn't like you. I promise. Stealth. Speed. Check."

She'd never touched him like that before, and he'd resisted the urge to recoil. Genuine human contact had been a foreign concept in the many years since his mother's passing. He'd had girlfriends…more like flings or one night stands, but he'd never let a woman get close to him on a mental scale since the world fell apart.

"Do you have your extra set of clothes packed? We don't want to look out of place on first contact."

She unzipped her backpack and flung a t-shirt at him.

"Ok, all right. I believe you now," he chuckled. The chuckle appeared alien to him. He cleared his throat to shake the tension from his voice.

A thud echoed off the rock face as Jim and Patty touched ground. Dylan and Emma helped them quickly get out of their gear so they could get into cover. They didn't want to risk being seen before they could even open the portal. Jim kneeled and placed the transmitter at his feet. After he pushed a few buttons, heard a few beeps, and ran a few programs, he gave a thumbs up to signal that it was ready.

"Ok, Dylan. This thing will be ready to create a hole in the force field in three minutes. You and Emma need to be ready to jump through. I'm going to warn you, Dylan, this opening won't stay long. Get through it as fast as possible," Jim said.

Before Dylan could interject, Jim added, "One more thing. I can't promise you that I'll be able to reopen it either. You never know what's going to happen. You may get your only help from them," Jim pointed in the direction of downtown Veil City. "Just be back here in two days. That's all we have…two days. You'll be on your own after that."

Dylan knew the consequences of what could happen if they didn't succeed. They'd be stuck in Veil City unless they could start an all-out revolt, but he didn't want to face the ramifications of awakening the savages. A fight between two caged rats never resulted in a good ending. Dylan wanted no more bodily carnage. The Alpha War and Darkseid had committed enough of that for many lifetimes.

He patted Jim on the shoulder and grinned back at him warily. He didn't know what to say, so he walked over to the edge of the force field and waited next to Emma. She looked at him, and the expression of worry danced around her eyes. He was worried, too, but he wasn't going to give up.

"Ok, guys, ready in 3…2…1…go," Jim exclaimed behind them.

In unison, Emma and Dylan stepped forward past the barrier and onto forbidden soil. It had worked. They were inside Veil City. He turned back to get a glimpse of Jim and Patty when dthey smiled and waved at him. He threw a saluted wave back at them and began to run towards their first checkpoint.


	2. Chapter 2

Heroes Past

EPISODE 2

Behind Enemy Lines

When they reached the shed, Emma popped the lock off with bolt cutters, and they slipped inside unnoticed. Emma cleared off a table in an inconspicuous corner and unpacked her backpack. She developed a communications receiver and transmitter over the past few months that could get past the waves of the force field. It was genius, really. He never would've dreamt of something like this coming together. She pressed a few buttons, ran through a few configurations, and she was done.

Jim's voice back to them over the receiver, "Hey over there. You guys getting this yet?"

"Loud and clear, Jimmy," she gleefully exclaimed back into the microphone.

"Radio silence for twelve hours. We'll meet back here at 3:00am," Jim responded.

"Ten-four. Out," and she clicked the off switch. "Well, that works. Check that off our list." She carefully piled items around the makeshift radio to disguise it in case Harley or her husband came out to the shed. They were banking on them not noticing the missing lock.

"Ok, let's get dressed and head out to the pharmacy. Do you have the rope?"

She pulled the rope out of her bag, and it sparkled with golden magnificence. He acquired it seven years after the guardians had surrendered themselves over to the government for incarceration. There wasn't a single flaw in it. All the hairs and bends were perfectly in place.

"We have to be extra careful with this, Dylan. We cannot let this get into the wrongs hands, especially Diana's _before_ we talk to her."

He nodded in agreement, and she handed it over to him to which he stuffed into his messenger bag. They wanted to look like they fit into this society, so they dressed in clothes that made them just ordinary people. Dylan saw the humor and laughed out loud.

"What's so funny?" Emma asked.

"Never thought I'd be doing the same thing for the same reason as they did. To hide in plain sight…to fit in."

Seeing the irony in his statement, she chuckled as well. Emma pulled a yellow t-shirt over her head and rearranged her tussled hair. Dylan opted for a button up shirt and baseball cap. The hat was the only thing he kept from his childhood. He was surprised it still fit, but he figured his father bought him a larger size so he could grow into it. A bright yellow crown sat atop on the peak of an embroidered yellow "M." Memories of watching the Monarchs play rushed through his head. The smell of hot dogs and nachos enveloped his senses. A Monarchs game was the last time he spent time with his father before the war. The stadium now lay beneath levels of rock, dirt, and memories.

Shaking himself out of his nostalgic trance, he grabbed the messenger bag and slipped it on.

"Are you ready?" he asked Emma.

She made sure every piece of clothing and hair was in place and nodded. He had never seen her in this type of style. Most of the time they ran around in fatigues or black to remain stealthy. Had they not been right in the middle of an important mission, he would've pulled her close and embraced her, maybe even kissed her. She was a lovely sight. Definitely something worth fighting for.

They slipped out of the shed and began walking towards the downtown portion of Veil City. As they reached the city line, they were greeted by a happy hot dog vendor. He was yelling out his prices, why you should buy them, and why you'll be back. Dylan's stomach began to grumble. He had not eaten anything that day, and frankly, the reminiscing about baseball days awakened the hunger.

"Let's stop and get a dog. I'm freaking starving," Dylan pleaded. "I only need one to get me by. Do you want anything?"

Emma shook her head and glanced down at her watch, "Make it quick, Dylan. We don't want to miss her shift."

The hot dog vendor waved cheerfully and beckoned him over. As Dylan approached, the sweet smell of chili hit him in the face, then the onions, and the dogs themselves smelled like something out of this world.

"I'll take one all the way," Dylan requested.

The hot dog vendor laughed joyfully and began putting the dog together.

"That'll be two-fifty," he said, sticking out his hand to receive money.

Absentmindedly, Dylan pulled out his wallet and offered the man three dollars. The vendor chuckled, "Boy, where in the world did you get those? We haven't used tinder like that in decades. Don't you have any Veilions?"

Dylan froze. _Uh oh, I completely forgot about the money here._ To not blow their cover, he laughed it off and stuck it back in his wallet. He frantically searched his pockets trying to give the appearance he was trying to find his stash of Veilions.

"Look, kid. You look hungry…and broke. This one's on the house. I'd hate to embarrass you in front of your lady friend," he nodded back to Emma standing a few yards away.

Feeling grateful, Dylan kindly accepted the hot dog. When he took it from the vendor's hand, he took a long look at him and nearly dropped the dog on the ground. He quickly recovered, but only after getting some chili on his hands.

"You ok, boy?" the vendor asked.

"Yeah, uh, fine. Sorry. Thank you so much for the hot dog," Dylan tipped his hat. He grabbed some napkins and walked briskly back to Emma.

She must've noticed the look on his face, "What's wrong?"

"The hot dog guy…it was…Luthor. Lex Luthor," Dylan sputtered. He shoved the hot dog into his mouth and chewed feverishly.

Emma's eyes widened. She glanced over Dylan's shoulder to get a better look at the vendor.

"You're right. Oh my god, Dylan. You might want to rethink eating that hot dog. It's probably poisoned."

For a short moment, Dylan considered it. But all he could see was the smile on Luthor's face. It was actually genuine. There was no malice there. His brain had a hard time accepting that a mass murderer and conniving villain would have a kind heart. Maybe Veil City wasn't as bad as Dylan thought.

He finished scarfing down the hot dog as they walked toward the pharmacy. They watched people interact with others in fruit markets, newsstands, and coffee shops. These people were nice to each other. They didn't blast each other with laser weapons or grenades. They shook hands, waved, laughed, and smiled at each other.

As if reading his mind, Emma spoke, "Wow, this is bizarre, Dylan. They're being…nice. No fighting, no threats of destruction or taking over the world. I don't get it."

Veil City was cut off from the rest of the world. They were kept in a deep valley, hidden from any wandering eye. The government chose to incarcerate them instead of executing them for their war crimes. In a distant memory, Dylan recalled watching television on the day they all surrendered. The regret in their voices and the deep sense of loss on their faces would always stick with Dylan. He watched as each hero quietly surrendered themselves over in restraints and taken away…never to be seen by the public eye again.

Darkseid, fled from his planet of Apokolips, took his opportunity of world domination while the government slept. He and his army stormed the capitals of every country not in ruin and quickly took over the world. He was without mercy; executing every high official to set an example for anyone willing to stand up against him. Resistance camps, more-so prisons, were set up on the outskirts of every city to house rebellious citizens as they made their way through the mind-wiping process. Darkseid referred to it as the Anti-Life Equation. He was able to control the thoughts and actions of anybody he was able to capture. Most humans were all but robots now.

As they entered the pharmacy, Dylan took Emma off to the side to go over their plans one last time.

"We need to find her and get her off to the side out of sight. If you find her first, try to find an item on a shelf out of reach so she'll have to get it. Then we'll carefully slip the rope around her. Got it?"

Emma nodded, and they split up. Dylan wandered down each aisle looking for Diana. She would be easy to spot, but cornering her would be the hard part. Men and women strolled around the store, picking out last minute items before their journey home. It was busier than he would've liked, but this was their only opportunity to track her down.

As he glanced down the last aisle, he saw her. It felt surreal seeing her in this element. Diana stood taller than he would've imagined. Her long, black hair even glistened under the fluorescent lights. He walked closer to her, carefully going over in his mind any scenario that could present itself here in this moment. She was restocking the shelves when he approached her.

"Um, excuse me, Miss. Can you help me with something?"

She was already smiling when she turned to look at him. Her bright blue eyes pierced right through him. He almost shuttered in fear from her brilliance. She was every bit of beautiful in person. Amazingly, she had not aged in eighteen years and looked as flawless as the day she turned herself over.

"Absolutely. What can I do for you?" she cooed in a singsong voice.

Dylan was frozen in awe. He'd completely forgotten what to say. Diana's beauty was so rapturing, but her presence was terrifyingly alarming. With a 6'3" frame in heels, she towered over him. He knew she could snap his neck with two fingers if she so desired.

"Sir?" she asked again.

"Um, sorry. Yes, I can't reach that item over there," Dylan pointed to a high standing shelf one aisle over. "Can you reach it for me?"

She smiled pleasantly and walked over to the place in question. He followed her and quietly took the rope out of his bag. Emma rounded the corner at the same time and followed behind him. As Diana arched her feet and reached to the top of the shelf, Dylan gently placed the rope around Diana's waist and pulled tight. Diana's body jolted and stiffened.

Success, Dylan thought. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a picture.

"Tell me where this man is," and showed Diana the picture.

Diana's eyes scanned the picture, and with a robotic voice she replied, "He is the town drunk. You can probably find him standing outside the liquor store."

He hated doing this to her. The sense of violation made his stomach churn. She didn't deserve this, but it would be over soon.

"I'm sorry about this, Diana. We'll come back for you. I promise," and he freed her from the rope.

Diana looked dazed. She put her hand to her forehead and tried to focus.

"Where am I?" she asked.

Confused, Dylan looked at Emma, still holding the rope in this hand. Equally confused, Emma shrugged her shoulders in response.

"Why do you have my lasso?" Diana belted, "Who are you?"

The Amazon had returned, and Dylan had no clue how. He looked down at the rope in his hand and pure clarity finally came to mind. It was the Lasso of Truth. It had "cured" her of her lost memory.

"Wonder Woman?" Dylan asked nervously.

"Yes, and I asked you a question. Why do you have my lasso? And where am I?"

Dylan didn't know what to do. He hadn't planned on this happening, and wasn't sure why he didn't think of it. The Lasso of Truth had many abilities, but this one had completely slipped his mind.

"Um," Dylan hesitated, "What do you remember last?"

Diana Prince's presence was more intimidating now that she was in fully recovered form. He knew she was a just and fair person, but that didn't stop him from being terrified. Diana's fierce blue eyes stared back at him.

"I remember the war. I remember surrendering over…but that's it," she replied. Her posture slightly softened, maybe realizing these two standing in front of her weren't threats.

"Diana, um, may I call you Diana…or do you prefer Wonder Woman?" Dylan asked.

"Diana is fine. Please answer my questions, or I will have to consider you a hostile threat."

Dylan felt the need to take a step backwards, but he knew the moment he did, he would probably pay for it.

"My name is Dylan Runnalls. This is Emma Romer. We're here to rescue you, uh, set you free."

"Free me from what?"

"Veil City."


	3. Chapter 3

Heroes Past

Episode 3

"Hymn For The Missing"

Diana looked at him quizzically, "Why? We were put here for our own good. For the good of mankind."

Dylan expected this to come up, so he was completely prepared for this conversation.

"That's neither here nor there, Diana. You guys thought you were doing what was right, but that's not the point anymore. The world is not the same as you knew it eighteen years ago. It's worse."

"Worse? How?"

"After the government locked you away here, they fell asleep. They let an evil come in right under their noses, and now we're days away from losing everything we thought was freedom. Seven months after you left," Dylan took a deep breath, "Darkseid came. He has the entire world under his thumb. In two days, he's going to use the Anti-Life Equation to control us all. We'll lose ourselves, our minds, our lives…our freedom. A group of us have been working together for years to break you out of here. Diana, you must come with us."

A bright flame burned behind her icy blue eyes. Dylan could tell she was furious and was amazed at how well she kept her composure. When she didn't respond, he kept speaking.

"Diana, we have to find everybody else from the Justice League. Do you know where they are?"

"I know where some are, but not all of them. Most of the founders are missing. Batman, Superman, Martian Manhunter, and Aquaman. In fact, I can't recall ever seeing them here."

Dylan wasn't happy about this news. Out of all of them, Aquaman would probably be the easiest to find. They just needed to find the largest body of water in Veil City.

"Do you have a lake or a big pond in Veil City?"

Their limited reconnaissance over the past few months didn't reveal much past the outer boundaries of the city.

"There's Lake Saturninity. Why?" Diana asked.

"Aquaman has to be there. Surely Martian Manhunter would stick out. He's awfully green."

"J'onn would conceal himself. He could be anybody. Same for Superman and Batman," she said.

"But, Diana, you have the ability of a telepath, do you not? You could sense Martian Manhunter right?" Dylan pleaded.

"Yes, I can, but I would have to be in close proximity to him. He could be anywhere in this city," Diana said.

"Well, you have two days. Emma and I will start looking for everyone else. I think this belongs to you," he gently handed the lasso over to her.

"You'll find Green Lantern and Flash at the city dump. They work as sorters. Lantern's not going to be any of use, though. He doesn't have his ring."

Dylan smiled and rummaged through his bag. He pulled out his hand and slowly opened his palm. The object in his hand flashed with emerald radiance.

"Don't worry. I got that covered," Dylan grinned confidently.

"But—where did you get that?" Diana asked.

"He said he was a friend. He told me where I could find most of your stuff, hidden away in a vault underground. It took me months to get in it."

Diana's face softened, and for the first time, he could see a little hope twinkle in her eyes.

"You can't go in there calling them Green Lantern and Flash. It would be best call them John and Wally. You have nothing to fear from them."

He thanked her and motioned Emma to follow him outside, but Diana stopped him before they could exit.

"Where can I find you?" she asked.

"The mayor's house in two days. She has a shed in the back that we've used for a communications base with the outside," Dylan replied.

"The outside?" Diana asked.

"There's more than just the two of us. I've recruited a group of like-minded people who have fought and even died to set you guys free. They're just outside the city waiting for us."

She smiled, and he waved back at her, hoping this wouldn't be the last time he saw her. They left the pharmacy and headed towards the grocery store to pick up a small amount of provisions. When they were finished there, they headed straight for the only hotel in the city.

Dylan spread a makeshift map along the back wall of the hotel room. One by one, he placed thumb tacks on points of reference, known whereabouts of the Justice League members. He placed two tacks at the city dump; green for Green Lantern and red for Flash. At the center of Lake Saturninity, he placed a yellow for Aquaman. Off to the side, were the unknowns; black for Batman, blue for Superman, a dark green for Martian Manhunter.

Emma stared at the points on the wall and began to chew on her nails, "Dylan, what if we can't find them all? We only have two days, and we can't completely rely on Wonder Woman to find all of them."

Dylan shared her sentiments. What if they didn't find them all, indeed? They would just have to hope for the best with whoever they could find.

"We can't afford to think that way, Emma, but if it came to that, we'd just have to work with what we have. I have faith in Diana, er Wonder Woman. She can find Martian Manhunter, and then he can help us find the rest."

"A bit of a shot in the dark isn't it?" Emma said.

"Absolutely, but it's the only shot we have. It's too dark now, but we'll head straight to the city dump first thing in the morning."

"How are you going to convince them that they are who you say they are?" Emma asked.

Dylan sighed. He hoped against all hope the ring would bring Green Lantern back to his normal self. They would have to bring Wally with them, even if by force, so Diana could use her Lasso of Truth on him.

"Our hope lies in the ring. I just hope it's like Diana's lasso. Certainly he'll feel like himself once he puts it on."

"Dylan, are we out of our league here? Pun intended. We're taking a lot of risks here that could backfire in our faces."

"I know, Emma. I don't feel awesome about it either, but we don't have any more options. We stay here, caged like a rat, or we submit to Darkseid. I think I'd be willing to go with the lesser of the two evils and stay here. At least, I'd have a choice."

Emma laid down on her bed, fully dressed, and nodded off to sleep. He envied that in her. Shutting off his brain was a trick he hadn't mastered yet. He was sure the plans for the next day would be swirling around in his head all night, and he wouldn't get a wink of sleep. He was wrong, though. Fifteen minutes after his head hit the pillow, sleep encompassed him.

The next morning, he woke with a start. The sun was shining brightly, and he had wanted to get up before sunrise. He threw the covers off of him and shot out of bed. Emma sat in a chair sharpening a hunting knife she brought with her.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Dylan yelled.

She eyed him sternly, "You were exhausted, Dylan. A few hours of sleep wouldn't have killed you. Besides, Lantern and Flash aren't going anywhere."

"Emma, it's not that," he threw his messenger bag over his shoulder. "We don't have time to be wasting. Once we get them on board, we still have three others to find. Come on, let's get going."

He opened the door and impatiently waved to her to get moving. She slid the knife into her leg holster, grabbed her bag, and marched through the door after him. The sun stung his eyes, and he tried to wipe the previous night's sleep from the corners of his eyes. He hadn't slept like that in a long time. Ironically, he felt safe here from the prying eyes of Darkseid. As they passed people on the street, he noticed they seem to share the same feeling. Everybody was always smiling, always friendly. For a split second, he thought maybe it wasn't such a bad idea to stay here, but the thought of his little brother succumbing to Darkseid's mind control quickly cured him of that thought.

When they reached the dump, Dylan pulled the ring out of his bag and placed it on his finger. They saw five men plowing through trash and sorting it into piles. He knew right away which one was Green Lantern, but he would have to ask around to see which one was Wally.

A tall, muscular black gentleman met them at the gate. His smile greeted them with a one-of-a-kind friendliness.

"Can I help you folks?" he asked.

Dylan stepped forward and smiled warily. He never thought he would be standing in front of the Green Lantern under these conditions. John stood three inches over six feet with wide, broad shoulders. His voice, although deep, was soothing and sounded as if it was from the Midwest…Michigan maybe.

"Hi, Sir. I was looking for John."

"Well, you found him. What can I do for you?" John said.

"Uh, well, John. I came to return something to you."

"Me? Well, I haven't lost anything, Son." John said, continuing to smile.

"Oh, but yes you have, Sir. Something very valuable," Dylan pried the ring off of his finger.

John stared back at him, unwavering in his friendliness.

"I'm sorry, Son. I think you might have me confused with someone else. I have everything I need."

Dylan placed the ring in his palm and held it out to him. The emerald ring flashed a hello at the Green Lantern.

"This belongs to you," Dylan handed it to him.

John rolled it around in his hand, eying it closely. The jewel reflected its glow off his face, and little sprinkles of green danced gleefully on his cheeks.

"Wow, this must be worth a fortune, but I'm sorry, I can't take this, um, I didn't catch your name, Son?" John lifted his eyebrows.

"Dylan. But, John, that is definitely yours. Try it on. You'll see that it's a perfect fit."

Dylan's nerves were on a crispy edge. What if he couldn't get John to try on the ring, and what if he tried it on and it didn't do anything? They'd have to come back with Diana…if they had time.

But to Dylan's pleasant surprise, John obliged him and slipped it on his finger. He turned his hand over, back and forth, admiring how well it fit.

Come on, Lantern, come on.

John was quite amused. He laughed as he begun to take the ring off, "Dylan, this is a nice ring and all, and it fits pretty well, too…but it's not mine. No way I could afford to buy something like this."

Emma burst from behind Dylan and wielded a knife in her hand. She took a menacing step towards Lantern.

"Don't you dare take that ring off, or I'll make you regret it," Emma hissed.

Alarmed, Dylan guffawed. What was Emma thinking? He reached out to grasp her, but a bright flash of green blinded him. He heard a stifled _hmph_ from Emma's direction, and when the spots in his vision cleared, he saw Emma levitating in a glowing, green globe.

The light from the globe extended back to the tiny emerald on John's ring. John's eye sockets were filled with two brightly lit emeralds. His arm was extended towards Emma, and Dylan noticed that the ring had brought the Green Lantern to life.

"Lantern," Dylan whispered. "You're back."

John turned his head toward Dylan and gleaned at him.

"How do you know who I am?"

Dylan couldn't help but laugh. He put two and two together and realized Emma knew that the ring would ignite the flame inside John by threatening him with her knife…and she was right. Dylan threw his hands up in submission so he wouldn't appear as a threat.

"John, Diana sends her regards. The Justice League needs you again. The world needs you. We have to get Wally and go."

"Who are you?" John replied with his commanding deep voice. It made Dylan shiver with intimidation.

"We're nobody, Sir, but we've come to free the Justice League. Wonder Woman is waiting on you, and we need help finding the rest. I don't have time to explain here but I will on the way. You have to get Wally so we can go."

"You come at me with a knife and expect me to trust you? I'm not dumb, kid."

"Lantern, if we wanted to do you harm, we wouldn't have given you the ring. It was the only way we could get you to see the real you. Your mind was wiped, and so was the Flash's. That's the past though, but in order for this world to have a future, you must come with us," Dylan begged.

"Why?" John bellowed.

"Because, Darkseid has returned."

The globe that held Emma disappeared, and she tumbled to the ground.

"I'll get Wally," John sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

Heroes Past

Ep 4

"The Big Green Guy"

Dylan feared he and Emma were drawing too much attention to themselves, and he didn't want the wrong people asking questions. They still had three more founders to find: Batman, Superman, and Martian Manhunter. Dylan saw the pattern here. They were found in places never thought to look in, but they were running out of time with one day left.

As they walked down the streets, Wally kept nagging John about where they were going and why they were ditching work.

"Look Wally," John muttered, "You wouldn't understand right now, but you will soon enough. Be patient. We have to find our friend Diana first."

"Ok, I get that, John, but can't we take a car or a bus or something? This is taking forever," Wally exclaimed. He took off running down the street not realizing that his speed was far superior to theirs. "Come on, guys. Hurry up."

John sighed. Dylan could tell he was extremely irritated with Flash and was probably about to bite his tongue in half.

"You know, Wally. You could help me with something if you'd like," Dylan yelled after him. "Think you could head over to Lake Saturninity for me and look for this lady?" He pulled out a picture of Wonder Woman from his wallet and flashed it at Wally. He came peddling back to Dylan.

"Wow, she's hot. If I find her, can I keep her?" Wally winked.

"You may have to take that up with her, first," Dylan laughed, "but she's looking for a guy named Arthur, but he goes by Aquaman. Think you could find them real quick and get back to me? We'll be looking for three other people while you're doing that."

"Yeah, man. Where do I meet you?" Wally asked.

"At the hotel. I'm not sure when we'll be there, but just wait for us. If we're not back by nightfall, come looking, ok?" Dylan said. He turned and looked at Green Lantern, and he looked as if he was relieved to have Wally off of his back.

"One hot lady and Aquaman coming up," Wally smiled and dashed off.

"Makes you wonder why he doesn't ask himself how he runs faster than everybody else," Dylan pondered aloud.

"I don't know, but thank you for giving him something to do. I was moments from creating a muzzle to strap on him," John chuckled.

Dylan didn't want to admit it out loud, but he had no idea where to look for Batman and Superman. He figured Superman would be pretty easy to spot by now. During their reconnaissance of Veil City, neither of them had been spotted, but Dylan was beginning to wonder if they were even there at all. Could they still be in the hands of the government, locked in some cell fifty levels underground? He prayed not. Nothing of what they were doing would succeed without them.

Emma's voice brought Dylan back to the present, "So, what are we doing now? Got any ideas? It feels like we went into this thing half-cocked."

Dylan didn't know how to answer. He didn't want to look ill at ease. Giving up was not an option. The world was counting on them. He couldn't lie to her and figured honesty was his only option.

"Honestly, Em, I thought we would've found Superman by now. When Wonder Woman said she didn't know where he was, my plan fell apart. I was sure she knew. At this point, I'm pretty willing to throw caution to the wind and just start asking around town if people have seen him. Maybe we can cook up a story that we're his family, and we're looking for him," Dylan shrugged.

"You know, I don't remember much after we handed ourselves over. How did we get to this point? I mean, who are you guys, really?" John asked.

Dylan smiled at John. He guessed he would never tire of telling the story. It was a story two decades in the making. He shoved his hands in his pockets and told John everything.

"After the end of the Alpha War and after you guys turned yourselves over, Darkseid came. Nobody saw him coming and before we knew it, the world was at his command. He oppressed the people of earth, killed them, enslaved them, washed them of their minds to make them robots of the flesh…and no one could stop him. The world fell into more chaos. If you broke the laws, you were killed or imprisoned.

"My family was killed when the Alpha War broke out. My little brother and I stayed with a neighbor till we found him dead in the backyard. After that, we simply just did what we had to do to make it by. Stealing, squatting, violence, you name it. I did some not-so-nice things to put food in our stomachs.

"It finally caught up with me one day when I was twenty years old. I was care free and invincible…so I thought. A friend dared me to steal an armored car right in front of armored personnel. So I did…unsuccessfully. They stuck me in jail where I stayed for about a year. My brother was left to fend for his own at fifteen. That was my biggest regret…failing him.

"My brother, Jake, didn't fall into the same path I had. He was smart about it and joined up with a mentor of sorts that got him educated. He didn't come visit me while I was in prison, but I can't say I blame him. I was pretty alone and rightfully deserved it.

"I didn't share a cell with anyone, but there was this guy next to me who was always quiet. Very selective with his words. I did most of the talking, but every now and then, he'd say something in agreement or discontent. Out of the blue one day, I started talking about the Justice League and how the world needed them. My cell-neighbor changed his tone after that.

"It seemed like he was grilling me because of all the questions he asked. 'What do you think about the Justice League?' 'What do you know about the Justice League?' 'Where do you think the Justice League is?' I'd never heard so much as peep out of him until I brought up the League.

"After what seemed like a million conversations, he dropped a doozy on me, 'Do you think you could break out the Justice League if I helped?'. I thought this guy was crazy, until he told me where I could find some of the JL's weapons and special items. I asked him who he was, but he refused to tell me. Just said he was a friend.

"We had some long, late night talks after that. He explained what it had to have been like to be a JL member, and the responsibilities that came with it. I changed in that prison. He inspired me to become better than I thought I could be.

"When I got out of prison, I immediately went to find the weapons and items he told me about, and they were exactly where he said they'd be. Let me tell you, finding Wonder Woman's lasso and your ring were a sight to behold. I could've done so much with them, but I knew my purpose was even bigger.

"Over the next fifteen years, I put together a team of people who could help me find you guys and break you out. It wasn't easy though, and we've gone through many setbacks. People have died, been captured, and converted to the enemy's side. It took us forever to find you, and then it took us another year to finally get into Veil City. Right now, we have less than a day to get you all out. Darkseid has mastered the Anti-Life Equation, which he has plans to use on every human being tomorrow night. The Justice League is the only force capable of stopping him. But without Batman, Superman, and Martian Manhunter, I'm not so sure that's possible."

John didn't immediately speak. Dylan could tell he was mulling things over in his head. Maybe it was the guilt of his surrender, or where to find the missing members, or what they were going to do next. Dylan looked at Emma, who was staring at the ground as they walked. Clearly, she had nothing to add to the conversation. She'd heard it a million times herself.

"Thank you, Dylan," John finally spoke. "On behalf of the Justice League, I'm sorry we left. I'm sorry we abandoned the human race and left you guys to suffer Darkseid."

Dylan was touched, but he never once blamed the JL for what they'd done.

"Don't apologize, Green Lantern. You did what you thought was right. There was no way you could've known he was coming. Let's just worry about finding the others," Dylan rested his hand on John's shoulder in hopes it would console him.

As they approached the end of the street, Emma whispered, "Hey, let's ask that guy if he's seen Superman. Show him the picture."

Dylan pulled the picture out of his pocket, but as soon as he tried to get the guy's attention, John's arm swung around and pinned him back.

"No," John hissed. "It's Crane. Don't go over there."

Dylan looked at John quizzically. _What had gotten into his green friend all of a sudden?_ He looked forward and stared at the gentleman sitting on the bench, waiting for a bus. Tufts of brown hair covered the sides of his glasses, and a lanky, small frame sat atop the bench.

"Crane? John, what do you mean?" Dylan asked.

Fury was etched across Green Lantern's face. Dylan turned and looked at Emma, who shrugged her shoulders. He was glad he wasn't the only clueless one.

"Jonathan Crane…Scarecrow," John said through his tightly clenched teeth.

"John, no one here remembers who they are. For all he knows, he's just some guy who grew up here," Dylan gently moved John's arm away from his chest. "It's ok, John."

The Green Lantern didn't put up a fight, but he remained rigid. Dylan respected that, and it made him feel safer. He sauntered up to Crane and sat down on the bench next to him.

"Excuse me, Sir, but have you seen my brother? He's been missing, and we need to find him," Dylan asked.

Crane took the picture and fumbled it through his fingers, turning and examining it at every angle.

"Yeah, this guy looks a little familiar. If it's who I think it is, he hangs out down there at night. I pass him when I walk home from work," he pointed a couple of blocks down to a liquor store. "He doesn't seem to be missing, though," Crane responded with an air of skepticism.

Relieved, Dylan almost clapped the guy on the back with gratitude but decided against it.

"Hey, thanks, man. We really appreciate it," Dylan stood up and started to walk away.

"I mean, he doesn't look like he _wants_ to be found," Crane replied again.

Dylan wasn't quite sure how to respond to Crane's cryptic comment. Superman wanted to be found, he just didn't know it. Once they found him, he could probably tell them where Batman or Manhunter was. All Dylan could do was smile back and wave thank you.

They proceeded to walk down to the liquor store, but Wally zipped into appearance a few steps away.

"I found them," he exclaimed. "That Diana chick is much hotter in person. Scary, too. She found that Arthur, um, Aquaman guy you were looking for. They're on the way back to the hotel now."

Dylan tried to contain his joy, but he wrapped his arms around Wally and squeezed.

"Thank you so much, Flash, uh, Wally. That was such a burden," Dylan grinned.

Wally seemed to feel slightly uncomfortable, because he lightly padded Dylan on the back with one hand and tried to step away from the awkward hug.

"Hey…no problem. Glad I could help," Wally smiled hesitantly. "Find the others?"

"No, not yet, but we have a bead on one of them. We'll have to come back here later tonight though, to get him. I just have to check one thing first," Dylan handed the picture over to Emma. "Go ask that shop owner if he's seen Kal-El."

Emma gladly snatched the picture and took it inside. Dylan watched the conversation progress from picture, to Emma's made up story, to the owner nodding. It was true. He was here. Superman was, in fact, in Veil City. When she came out of the shop, Emma had a huge smile across her face, which confirmed what Dylan thought.

"He's definitely seen him. He comes here just about every night and loads up on liquor," she said. "They're good friends and talk about things in general when he drops by."

Dylan found this to be very peculiar. He never figured Superman to be a drinker, but he had to remind himself that not everybody here was like how they were in the real world. He took the picture back from Emma and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Now, all we have to do is find Batman and Manhunter and meet back here tonight to get Kal-El. Wally, have you ever seen some weird stuff going on this town? Anything out of the ordinary that you can't explain?" Dylan asked.

Dylan could see the gears turning over and over in his head, but alas Wally shook his head.

"No, not really. Veil City's pretty quiet and uneventful. Boring, in fact."

Dylan's joy was short lived. He would have to fully rely on Wonder Woman's ability to find them in time. Even she didn't seem too confident in her ability to do so, but it was all they had.

When they got back to the hotel, they all sat down and munched on some snacks they'd bought from the grocery store. Emma had been the smart one and brought some counterfeit Veil City money. He underestimated her sometimes, but she always came through. Someday he would find a way to repay her for her sacrifices.

After they were done eating, Dylan instructed everyone but Diana and Emma to stay at the hotel until they returned later that night. He didn't want to risk the chance of everyone getting separated or stirring up suspicion. There was no telling if Darkseid had spies or cameras in Veil City.

Their plan was to search for Martian Manhunter first, because his psychic abilities were much more powerful than hers. His help would make the rest of the trip very simple. As they walked down street after street, Wonder Woman tapped into her ability but never came back with results. Dylan's hope quickly dwindled. Not wanting to miss their chance to catch up with Superman, they headed to the liquor store and waited.

At a bench across the street, they all sat down and watched the liquor store. People trickled in and out as the hour passed. Some were completely inebriated before walking in, and most had a plan to become that way when they walked out with bottles upon bottles. Dylan noticed the sun was setting, and his nerves twinged at the thought of meeting his childhood hero. He idolized Superman, looked up to him, wanted to be like him. Memories of running around the house as a child with a towel tucked into his shirt like a cap flooded his mind. His mother made him a Superman outfit for Halloween one year, and he refused to take it off for three days afterwards.

When Superman and the Justice League turned themselves over, he remembered his heart broke into thousands of pieces. No longer would he see his hero flying over the city, helping cats out of trees, stopping robberies or high speed chases.

"He's nearby," Diana whispered.

Dylan snapped out of his usual trance, "Huh? What did you say?" he asked.

"J'onn…Manhunter. He's here somewhere. I can feel it," she whispered.


	5. Chapter 5

Heroes Past

Ep 5

"A House Divided"

Dylan and Emma looked in all directions to see if someone caught their eye…and then it hit Dylan.

"Diana, come with me. Emma, you stay here and keep a look out for Kal-El."

He grabbed Diana's arm and hoisted her up off the bench. They walked arm and arm across the street toward the liquor store. He was going on a hunch, but it was out of left field. If he was right, he might even kiss Diana. After imagining what would happen, he changed his mind.

"It's getting stronger, Dylan. We're really close to him now," Diana spoke.

"I think I know who he is, Diana."

He opened the door to the liquor store, and she led him in. Behind the counter, stood a black man in his fifties. A graying beard stretched across his face and wrinkles pinched at the corners of his eyes. Tall and broad-shouldered, he turned and greeted them.

"Hi. Can I get you something?" he asked.

"J'onn?" Diana asked.

Dylan nudged her and whispered, "Diana, he won't recognize us, remember. You need to use your lasso."

The owner's brow furrowed, and his body language changed from welcoming to alarm. Dylan saw his hand move slowly beneath the countertop, and instantly Dylan knew what was about to go down.

"Hi there, we'd like to get some whiskey. My wife and I are celebrating her new promotion. What do you recommend?" Dylan half smiled, half cringed.

The owner's body softened, and his hand returned to the counter, "Well, it depends on what you want. I have smooth or stout, and they're all locally brewed."

Dylan noticed a high shelf behind the owner with rows of whiskey laid out from left to right. He pointed to it and asked, "What about one of those?"

As the owner turned around, Dylan whispered to Diana, "Now."

The ease and swiftness of Wonder Woman's movement amazed Dylan. Before he could make the conscious effort to let go of her arm, she had already whipped out the lasso and twirled it over the owner's head. She wrenched it tight and yanked him across the counter toward her. It was over before he could breathe.

She loomed over the shop-keep, and her voice boomed out of her chest, "Are you J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter?"

The man wriggled and writhed with the golden rope clasped tightly around his arms. He seemed to struggle with an answer, so she asked again, pulling the lasso tighter.

A raspy, guttural "Yes" flowed out of his mouth. As Dylan breathed in a sigh of relief, Manhunter's body began to change in front of him. Taut muscles formed beneath the lasso, and green skin peeked through his clothes. In moments, the Martian Manhunter from his memories lie on the ground before him. Diana loosened the lasso and helped him up.

"I'm so glad that was you, J'onn. I hate to think what would've happened had it not been," Diana smiled.

Manhunter put his hand to his forehead, as if he felt faint, "What happened, Diana?"

"I'll tell you letter, J'onn, but right now we have to find Superman. Do you think he'll come here tonight?"

Dylan was still aghast from what just happened. A fully grown Martian alien stood right in front him. It was easy to forget Superman was an alien because of his human traits, but this guy was very green and very big.

The sound of an opening door interrupted the tension, and Emma busted through it.

"He's here. He went down the alley just now." Her eyes were wide with excitement.

Dylan ran past her and out into the alleyway, where he saw a figure sitting on the ground drinking from something encased in a paper bag. He slowly walked closer to the figure, with knots in his stomach. It was the day he dreamt about his whole life. He'd rehearsed over and over what he would say, but the words escaped him.

As he approached the man, he could see his face in the glow of the street light. A dark, thick beard covered his face. Long black hair fell over his shoulders. Those shoulders…they were huge, massive. Even while sitting, the man was enormous, and Dylan felt like an ant standing next to him.

He took another swig from his drink and glared up at Dylan, "What do you want? I don't have any money. Get lost."

Dylan almost flinched but fought the urge. The man's harsh words stung him, however. _Remember, Dylan, he doesn't know who he is. You can't hold that against him._ Dylan struggled to answer.

"Listen, punk. Unless you want your skull opened up, I suggest you beat it. I got nothing you need," he grunted at Dylan.

Finding his courage, Dylan spoke, "Yes, you do. I need your help."

"Are you deaf? I said I don't have any money. But I can help your face meet my boot, if that's what you want," he chuffed.

Dylan was terrified. Getting his face beat in by Superman wasn't exactly his choice way of leaving this world. He wasn't going to back down, though.

"I don't want money. I don't want what you're drinking. I don't want a hole in my skull. I just want your help…Kal-El,"

The big man sitting at his feet took another, longer swig of his drink. Dylan overheard footsteps behind him, and he turned to see Wonder Woman was not far down the alleyway from them.

"I told you. I can't help you. I can't help anybody. Leave me alone," he yelled. He finished off the drink and threw it at Dylan. Before Dylan could duck out the way, Wonder Woman grasped the bottle out of the air before it took off Dylan's head. Diana moved toward the sitting man in order to wrap the lasso around him.

"Wait, Diana," Dylan grabbed her arm. "He doesn't need it."

Her head whipped around, and she glared at Dylan. Those blue eyes turned his blood into ice. He wasn't sure who was more terrifying, Wonder Woman or Superman.

"What do you mean, he doesn't need it?" she snapped.

"He's…him. He remembers everything. He didn't have his memories erased," Dylan said softly, hoping to curtail her fury.

She looked back at Superman, but he refused to look at her. He propped up his knees and rested his dirty hands atop them.

"Clark? Is this true?" she begged.

Dylan tipped his head in confusion. _Why had she called him Clark? His name was Kal-El. Could that have been his Veil City name?_ This had not been the way Dylan expected everything to go.

"Yes," Superman muttered.

Diana knelt down beside him and placed her hand on his giant shoulder, "But, Clark…why would you…why did you not do anything?"

He shrugged off her hand, and it fell down by her side. Who was this man, Dylan thought. Who was this broken down, angry, dirty man? All he could was just stare at him, dumbfounded.

"Because, we deserved to be here. We killed all of those people and destroyed the earth practically. This is our just punishment," he yelled. "I have to live with that fact everyday while you all get to live your fancy lives in your carefree world. We got what we deserved. We were power hungry, and we proved it."

"But Clark –" Diana tried to interrupt.

"No, just leave, Diana. Go back to your life and let me be. I can't help you," Superman shouted again.

Defeated, Diana stood without a word and walked down the alley, back toward the street. Past all the fear, the intimidation, and the nerves, anger rose to the prominent position in Dylan's heart. Superman had known where they were the whole time. He sat by, as a bitter drunk, and watched his teammates live another life as different people…and did nothing. Dylan couldn't, and wouldn't, understand. Superman never gave up, never backed down…yet there he sat…a quitter.

"Darkseid rules the earth now, Superman. Did you know that?" Dylan hissed.

Kal-El threw a quick glance in his direction and shrugged his shoulders, "Well, maybe he can do a better job than us."

Dylan's anger boiled over the top, and he lunged at Superman. His fist flew through the air and collided painfully with Kal-El's face. Dylan roared in pain and cradled his hand. Tears tugged at the corner of his eyes as he tried to shake off the pain. If his hand wasn't broken, he would be surprised. His punch had no effect on Superman. He still sat there on the cold, dirty ground, hands atop his knees.

"You coward. You, of all people…a coward. Your friends need you, and you tuck tail and run. You don't deserve this," Dylan reached into his bag and threw a large red cloth at Kal-El's feet. "I can't believe this. I trusted you, and you're nothing but a drunken deserter."

Superman's eyes flashed a bright red, and for an instant, Dylan thought he was about to die. Those laser eyes could end him in a heartbeat, but the flash was brief and disappeared.

"Let's go, everybody. We still have to find Batman. At least he's not a coward," Dylan spat and turned to walk off.

"Batman's not here," Kal-El mumbled. "He's never been here."

Dylan reeled around and glared at Superman, "What? Where is he?"

"I don't know, but he's not in Veil City."

Superman bent further and picked up the red cloth. It unfolded, and a bright yellow "S" emerged into view. It pained Dylan to see it, lying on a dirty street, at the feet of a quitter. He, himself, wanted to quit right there. He wanted to go hole himself up in some corner of Veil City and give up, just like the weak figure sitting at his feet. But he wasn't Superman. He wasn't going to quit. Spinning on his heels, Dylan walked back toward the street, leaving Superman to his pity party.

"J'onn, you'll need to help us find Bruce," Wonder Woman said.

Dylan's confusion was never ending. He hated being on the outside of the known.

"Who's Bruce?" Dylan asked.

"Bruce Wayne," Wonder Woman said. "Otherwise known as Batman."


End file.
